Secrets and Lies
by nightprincess0420
Summary: Haruka has to hide her relationship with Michiru from the paparazzi, but what happens when Michiru gets fed up?
1. Chapter 1: The Paparazzi

Disclaimer: I don't own Haruka and Michiru.

I know it's been a while since I've written a story, so I hope you like this one. Let me know what you think.

**Secrets and Lies.**

Chapter 1: The Paparazzi.

Michiru walked to the railing and looked out over the sea. "It's so beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you." Haruka replied. Michiru turned to face her lover. "Could you BE a little more cheesy? Where does all that come from anyway, some bad 1950s movie?"

"No, I just love you." The blonde leaned down to kiss the smaller girl, but stopped when she noticed a camera peeking out of a bush just beyond them. "Shit". Michiru pulled back. "What is it?"

"Paparazzi."

The aqua-haired girl sighed and turned back to the ocean.

"Come on, let's go home" Haruka said, turning and heading back towards their car. She got about ten feet before she noticed the smaller girl wasn't following her. "Michi? Are you coming?" Michiru didn't answer, she simply turned on her heel and walked briskly to the car, purposely avoiding the blonde's eyes. Haruka sighed, but followed.

Two years ago the paparazzi had succeeded in getting a picture of the couple kissing in public. The tabloids had gone out and Haruka's popularity immediately dropped. It turns out that sponsors don't want to put their name on the car of a reported lesbian. It had turned into a huge scandal and Haruka's publicist advised her that if she wanted to continue racing, she would have to keep her relationship a secret.

Michiru had been very understanding at first. They could still go out on dates, they just couldn't do overt things like kiss or hold hands. But when Haruka started having to introduce her as her "friend", things took a turn for the worse. Michiru simply didn't like the idea of hiding who she was and she couldn't understand how Haruka could stand it. Haruka generally just shut her mouth and let the smaller girl calm down on her own. It usually only took a couple hours and it was a lot easier than talking the whole thing out.

They arrived home having spent the entire drive in complete silence. Michiru quickly got out of the car and slammed her door. Haruka tried to catch up with her, but ended up having to take the stairs as Michiru had made sure that the elevator door closed before Haruka could get in. Luckily, the runner had no trouble bounding up fourteen flights of stairs and got to the top just as Michiru was entering the apartment. She wanted to reach out to her, to hold her and remind her that no matter what she had to say for the cameras, she did truly love her, but she knew that Michiru would not be receptive to that at the moment, so instead she took up her usual spot on the couch with her book and waited for Michiru to come out of their room as she always did and head towards the pool.

But twenty minutes later Michiru still hadn't come out. Haruka was confused. Usually when things like this happened, Michiru would go into their room for about five minutes, change into her swimsuit and then head down to the pool for a couple hours. In fact, that was generally what Michiru did anytime she was depressed or angry. It cleared her head and helped her relax in the same way that running did for Haruka. So it was strange that she hadn't come out yet.

Haruka put down her book and walked slowly towards their bedroom door. "Michi?" There was no answer. She knocked. "Michiru?" Again, nothing. She tried the door, but the smaller girl had locked it. A muffled whimper came through the wood and Haruka knew this was more serious than it had been before. "Michi, open the door." She pleaded. "Come on Mich." Again, no answer. Haruka sighed. "This is gonna cost me" she groaned, before stepping back and sending her foot directly into the doorknob with enough force to splinter the door and knock the lock out of place. There still wasn't even a sound from Michiru. Haruka pushed open the now broken door to find her lover curled up in a ball on the bed facing away from Haruka. She was sobbing uncontrollably into one of their blue satin pillows and her swimsuit lay abandoned on the floor. Haruka walked over and laid down behind her weeping figure. She slipped her arms around the smaller girl's waist and planted a kiss on the top of her head. She could feel Michiru tense up as if she wanted to pull away, but didn't have the energy to do so. "I love you Michi." Michiru softened and allowed Haruka to turn her over and gently wipe the tears from her eyes. Michiru wanted to talk about it, but she didn't have the emotional energy to speak. Instead, she buried her head in Haruka's chest and cried herself to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2: The Fight

Okay...here's the second chapter. Tell me what you guys think.

Disclaimer: I do not own Haruka and Michiru

**Secrets and Lies.**

Chapter Two: The Fight

Michiru awoke the next morning at 5:40. She knew Haruka would be getting up in twenty minutes to go for a run and she still didn't feel she had the strength to talk to the blonde, so she carefully slipped out from between the strong arms. She changed out of the blue sun dress that she had worn the day before and quietly withdrew from the room. In the dining room, she opened the phone book to the page on home repair so that it would be easy for Haruka to find a new door (she knew the blonde would want to install it herself) and then left the apartment.

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Twenty minutes later the alarm went off and a sleepy Haruka turned over and dropped her hand hard on top of it. She opened one eye to look at the clock and then turned over to plant a kiss on Michiru's forehead before she went to go run. But she found no forehead to kiss. She sighed, figuring that Michiru must still be mad at her and pulled herself slowly out of bed. After pulling on some running shorts and a T-Shirt, she walked out of their bedroom (making a quick mental reminder to find out where she could get a new door) and went into the kitchen looking for Michiru. But the smaller girl was nowhere to be seen. She decided to go ahead and go for her run. Michiru was probably swimming or out walking or something. Haruka was sure she'd be back soon.

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Michiru walked up to the door and wearily pushed the doorbell. She hadn't felt up to driving, so she'd chosen instead to walk the two miles to Setsuna's house. It was a nice day, but she felt sick and exhausted. She tried to make herself look respectable, but the second Setsuna answered the door, she could see that there was something very wrong with the younger girl. Without saying a word, she took Michiru's arm and led her to the couch. She set the coffee maker and then sat down across from the aqua-haired girl. "What's going on Michiru?"

"It's Haruka and this Goddamn paparazzi stuff" Setsuna was taken aback for a moment. Michiru didn't often swear. Normally she was the poster child for propriety and manners. Setsuna knew something must really be bothering her if she was swearing without thinking about it. "That's been going on for a while though hasn't it?"  
"Well yes, but it's just really bothering me lately. I feel like she's got this life that she wants. She wants to race and she wants to be famous and she wants all of that and I'm...I'm like a big black spot on that life."  
"Oh Michi." Setsuna smiled. It was obvious the younger girl was just making a big deal out of something that wasn't. "Haruka loves you. You're the most important part of her life. I'm sure she wants to share you with the world, she just can't do that right now."  
"But why? I'm sure there are sponsors that would still support her. There have to be other gay racers out there." Setsuna got up to go pour them each a cup of coffee. "Yes, but none of them are on the F1 circuit and none of them are famous. I'm sure there are sponsors, but she wouldn't be able to really have the dream that she wants if she let the public find out about you. And I know you don't want her to give up her dream." She handed Michiru a cup and the younger girl drank it immediately. Again, this was strange behavior, but it was six thirty in the morning, so Setsuna forgave it. "No, I don't want her to give up on it. I just wish that I could be a part of it too." Setsuna smiled and brushed a stray piece of hair lovingly out of the younger girl's eyes. "I know darling, but that's just not going to happen in this day and age. You just have to be content knowing that Haruka does love you and that if she had to choose between that dream and you, she'd always choose you."  
"But that's just it Sets, I'm not sure that's true anymore."  
Setsuna put down her coffee. "Don't be silly Michi. Haruka loves you more than anything in the world, including racing."

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Haruka returned to the apartment an hour later. She pushed the button on the coffee maker and hopped into the shower. Two minutes later, she was out and getting dressed in her uniform. She had a big race today. She only hoped that Michiru would be willing to go watch her. The girl still wasn't back yet and Haruka was beginning to get worried about her. But just as she was about to pick up the phone to call her, Michiru walked in the door. She looked tired and headed straight for their bedroom, but Haruka grabbed her hand and gently turned the younger girl towards her. Before she could say anything, the door opened again and Haruka's agent, Shaiko Tubai walked in. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the great Haruka Tenoh."

"Hi Shaiko. What can I do for you?" She felt Michiru wriggle out of her grasp. Shaiko came over and gave the smaller girl a quick peck on the cheek, saying: "And hello gorgeous". Michiru smiled wearily and then sat down at the table. She didn't have much energy, but Shaiko had reminded her that Haruka had a race today and however mad she was at the blonde, she couldn't miss a race.

Haruka smiled when she saw that the younger girl was staying, but was quickly distracted by the envelope Shaiko shoved in her face. "Guess what came over the fax at nine PM last night?" Haruka opened the envelope and found pictures of her almost kissing Michiru. That damn paparazzo must've taken them before she saw him. "Hano Kato got those. He's sent them to a few tabloids, but luckily he's new in town and he's only been able to get them in one. I'm having my new intern pull as many off the shelves as she can, but you know this is not going to be good for your race."

"What do you want me to do?" Haruka replied. She was so sick of having to deal with this kind of thing, but she knew it was just par for the course now.

"You've gotta prove to them that you two are not a couple." He turned and looked sadly at Michiru. "I don't think you should go to the race today."

"What?" Haruka was furious. "That's ridiculous. She's coming to the race. Friends can come to support their friends can't they?" Michiru gave her the evil eye. She hated it when Haruka referred to her as a "friend".

Shaiko shook his head. "Haru, anyone who's seen you two together knows you're more than friends. I'm sorry, but I just think it's best if Michiru stops coming to everything."

"Can't she just like sit up in the back and not come down to see me afterwards?"

"No"

"We'll take different cars. She'll buy a ticket instead of using mine, she'll wear sunglasses and a hat. We'll disguise her."

"I'm sorry Haruka. She really can't be there."

"There's got to be some way that she can. We can just convince everyone that she's just my friend." Haruka put her hand on Michiru's shoulder and the smaller girl immediately jumped up. "I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND!" She yelled. Haruka and Shaiko both jumped back.

"Um...I have to go. See you at the race." Shaiko grabbed his coat and almost ran out the door. Michiru was still fuming. Her fists were clenched and she was staring at Haruka as if she wanted the blonde dead.

"Mi...Michiru...you know I love you, I was just saying that because..."

"I don't care why you were saying it Haruka" Michiru growled, "I refuse to be your puppet any longer."

Now Haruka was starting to get angry. How could Michiru think that she thought of her that way? This was just something she had to do. "You're not my puppet Michiru, but this is what I have to do. I have to appear normal."

"Why?"

Haruka scoffed. "Well that's a stupid question. Because if I want to race I have to have sponsors. And if I want to have sponsors I have to be normal. What do you want me to do, give up racing?"

Michiru's fists unclenched and she relaxed at this, although the look in her eye was still firm. "Yes. That's exactly what I want you to do."

Haruka almost broke down laughing. "You're kidding right?" But there was no hint of a smile on Michiru's face.

"You can't be serious." The blonde said.

Michiru crossed her arms. "If you love me, you'll give up racing."

Haruka couldn't believe what she was hearing. She tried for a moment to hold in her anger, but found herself screaming at the younger girl. "And if you loved me, you'd know I can't do that."

Michiru's eyes flashed before she turned on her heel, grabbed her purse and marched straight out the door, slamming it so hard behind her that the wood splintered. Haruka just stared after her. She was having quite a bit of trouble processing what exactly had just happened. All she knew at that moment was that she now had to replace two doors. She clenched her teeth and turned her attention to the open phone book.


End file.
